Campbell swimmer Makoa Alvarez is in the water so much that you really can’t expect him to walk adroitly, right? Fishes don’t even know how.

Sure enough, Alvarez walked away from the pool, down a concrete path and … stubbed his toe … on his way to find some shade to be interviewed prior to his appearance in the 38th annual Dorothy Aki Swimming Invitational on Saturday at Kalani High School.

No damage. It didn’t stop Alvarez — who can walk just fine — from carrying out his plans for the day.

"I want to break two meet records," he said a few minutes later.

And, sure enough, when he migrated back to the water, he did just that, setting marks in the 100-yard butterfly (49.81 seconds) and the 100 backstroke (47.81).

Alvarez also holds the state high school meet record in the backstroke, a 49.79 to tie Mark Eckert from 2004. According to Sabers coach Laxmi Diaz, in the case of a tie, the record goes to the most recent performer.

So, how good is this Alvarez kid who orally committed to swim for the University of Hawaii next season?

"He is tall (in the 5 feet 11 to 6 feet range) and has long limbs and a long torso, built for swimming," Diaz said. "And he’s really good underwater and with his streamline dives and foot turns. He is not especially buff or huge, but he cuts through the water like a boat rudder! One of the best things about him is that even if he didn’t have all of this natural ability, he would still like swimming. It’s a bonus that he’s fast."

Diaz thinks Alvarez has a bright future in college or in the professional ranks, but shied away from saying the ‘O’ word — as to not jinx him.

"If he works hard and keeps it together and doesn’t burn out, he has a real opportunity," Diaz said. "Can he handle it mentally, not just physically?"

Alvarez didn’t have a problem saying the word "Olympics," but kept it in perspective.

"All swimmers dream of making the Olympics," Alvarez said. "My goal is a realistic one. I want to make the Olympic Trials. I am one second off of that. Another goal is to make it to the NCAAs."

Alvarez was quick to say, "One second sounds like a little, but it’s a ton."

The Campbell senior is also a member of West Oahu Aquatics under the tutelage of Nate Dean. It helps that Alvarez’s club and school swim team use the same pool at Barbers Point.

Dean has Alvarez doing "skeletal training," which is two-hour workouts five days a week. Skeletal in this sense means minimum.

"Some college coaches want you to show up raw and then build on top of that," Alvarez said. "They feel it is better to wait. They don’t want you to peak too early. (UH) Coach (Victor) Wales said he was glad I wasn’t doing any weight training and doing the skeletal training."

Said Dean: "Makoa is a diamond in the rough. He is barely scratching the surface. He’s ranked in the top three in his age group (17), but he’s also in the top 100 swimmers nationally, not just juniors, all swimmers. That’s an elite category. He has the potential to make the Olympics, but so do a thousand other kids. Only 0.01 percent of all swimmers make it. He has a good head on his shoulders and I think he can make the Olympic Trials for 2016. Whether he makes the team or not, I don’t know."

One of Alvarez’s biggest accomplishments came at the Oceania international meet in New Zealand last May, when he placed second in the backstroke to a 16-year-old member of the Australian Olympic team.

He also placed second in the C final at the junior nationals in December.

"At the Oceania meet, he made a name for himself," Diaz said. "People (in U.S. swimming circles) know him."

According to his mom, Heather, Alvarez is a typical teenage kid who knows how to have typical teenage boisterous fun.

Diaz is a witness.

"He’s got a lot of friends and is a real friendly guy. He jokes around a lot and sometimes he goofs off too much," the coach said. "He’s good at calling people out or kind-heartedly teasing them or telling a ‘yo’ mama’ joke."

Alvarez, himself, admits to some good, clean hijinks.

"I have a good relationship with all my teammates," he said. "It’s great because there’s no drama at all. Me and the boys, we have no limits. We rag on each other so much. It’s fun and games. It makes us closer and we all get good laughs."

Ashley Feria, the Campbell girls head coach who helps Diaz with the boys squad, called Alvarez "a character."

"He is strong-willed and will let it out if he has something to say," she said. "He knows so much about the sport, the rules and everything, and that makes him a good resource to have around."

Alvarez was asked what he likes most about swimming, and the answer came quickly.

"Racing," he said.

Heather Alvarez didn’t hesitate in attesting to what she calls Makoa’s "competitive nature."

Makoa’s grandfather was a lifeguard and the family is made up of surfers and outrigger canoe paddlers, so Heather got Makoa started in the water early to make sure he was proficient.

"He fell in love with it," she said.

Alvarez still loves it so much that it has become his true passion, and he’s got plenty of people in his life who encourage him to pursue it with abandon, including his younger sister Kailana, who swims recreationally and plays water polo; his mom, who is expecting a baby; and coaches Diaz, Feria and Dean.

Showing his sense of humor and true appreciation at the same time, Alvarez said of Dean, "He’s a hard-ass on me. He has high expectations."

That’s what swimmers with such immense potential get.

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